In the context of pay and salary reforms for government employees in India, what does the abbreviation CPC most commonly stand for?

Introduction / Context:
The abbreviation CPC appears frequently in news and government documents related to the salaries and allowances of central government employees in India. Every few years, the Union Government sets up a commission to review the pay structure, allowances, and pension of its employees and to recommend revisions. These recommendations have a major impact on government finances and on the income of a large number of households. This question checks whether students know what CPC stands for in this widely discussed context.

Given Data / Assumptions:
The context is Indian government pay and salary reforms.We are asked to expand the abbreviation CPC.The options provide four possible expansions, all beginning with Central.We assume standard usage in government and media reports.

Concept / Approach:
CPC in Indian public finance discussions almost always refers to the Central Pay Commission. These commissions are numbered sequentially, such as the Sixth Central Pay Commission and Seventh Central Pay Commission. Their job is to examine the existing pay structure of central government employees, including defence personnel, and to recommend revisions that are fair and sustainable. The other expansions in the options are either incorrect or not used in this official context.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall how news articles describe revisions in government salaries, usually mentioning the Seventh CPC or previous Central Pay Commissions.Step 2: Link the abbreviation CPC to the full term Central Pay Commission.Step 3: Compare this with the options provided and confirm that option Central Pay Commission matches the commonly used phrase.Step 4: Recognise that Central Person scheme, Central Paid determination, and Central Pay scheme are not standard terms in Indian government documents.Step 5: Select Central Pay Commission as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
If we think of major events like the implementation of the Seventh Central Pay Commission, official press releases and newspapers always write CPC as short for Central Pay Commission. No alternative expansions are used in this context. In exam oriented books on Indian economy and polity, the chapter on public finance and government expenditure also expands CPC as Central Pay Commission. This consistent usage across sources confirms that this is the only correct expansion for the given context.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Central Person scheme: This phrase does not refer to any known government body related to salaries and appears to be a distractor.Central Paid determination: This is not a recognised phrase in Indian administrative or financial terminology.Central Pay scheme: While the government does implement various pay schemes, the specific abbreviation CPC does not stand for this phrase.

Common Pitfalls:
Because all options start with Central, some learners might get confused if they have not clearly memorised the correct expansion. In competitive exams, abbreviations are often tested, so it is important to link CPC firmly with the idea of Central Pay Commission. Reading newspapers and government notifications regularly helps retain such associations and avoid mistakes in questions like this.

Final Answer:
In the context of Indian government salary revisions, CPC stands for Central Pay Commission.